Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions

I looked over the service invoice and we don't take advantage of our customers in any way. In fact I don't even pay my employees a commission because I don't ever want to give them any reason to up sell or sell something that isn't needed. We pride our company on being honest and treating people the...

way we would want to be treated. Yes ANYONE can go online and price shop parts, but there are other factors that go into our price which is called overhead. We are not out of line in fact we are cheaper than our competitors .  After I read this complaint I personally called a few of my competitors from my cell phone just to see what they would charge and I got the answers which I already knew,,, We were the cheapest. I would be happy to give this customer a free clean and check next year when they start up their furnace and make sure it is in good operating condition but that is as far as I am going with this as I feel this complaint was wrongly filed against us.If you look over our [redacted] reviews or call the Bryant Manufacturing Company you will see that All Temp has one of the highest customer satisfaction ratings. We arened that from being and honest company that cares about our customers. Respectfully,[redacted]President

On 12/15/2015 All Temp was called out on a no heat situation. We inspected furnace and found flame sensor was very dirty and corroded and saw that there was some type of condensation problem causing the gas valve to be corroded. The existing furnace and venting was not installed by All Temp and out...

of Warranty. We diagnosed that the furnace  was oversized which this we thought was causing his corrosion. Due to the fact that the furnace was inop. there was no way to verify this. So Joe [redacted] gave us the approval to replace this furnace with a smaller btu and we did so that very next day day. So Joe [redacted] called All Temp on 12/18/2015 with a complaint of no heat. We sent a serviceman out there who verified that we still had a condensation problem due to the fact that the existing flue pipe which was not installed by All Temp was tied into the main line with another furnace which we did not know about because we never had access to this unit and at the time we installed our unit the other unit was not cycling on at that time otherwise we would've picked that up. So we actually had 2 problems #1 furnace was over sized  #2 The furnace flue was tied into another tenants. So what we did was to compensate Mr [redacted] because we did feel we were not at fault because of Existing venting arrangement, but because he is a good customer we would discount the furnace #2 $1000.00 And he agreed. There was nothing said about his tenant going without heat for a period of time. At the time of installing this furnace to resolve his existing flue problem we installed a high efficiency furnace which vents with PVC vs the same existing flue as the 1st unit. This would solve all of his problems. He agreed and happy we found and solved his existing problem. So Mr [redacted] contacted John [redacted] , "his All Temp Rep" and wanted further compensation and agreed that if we gave him another $500.00 and performed air conditioning clean and checks 10 units at his other buildings that he would be satisfied. I feel that we have gone above and beyond for a problem that was not due to the installation of our equipment and my finall offer still stands. $500.00 and the 10 clean & Checks for his other rental units,Which he agreed to and was going to send the list of properties to John [redacted] which we have not received as of today. Any question please feel free to call me direct on my cell at [redacted] Respectfully,Rick

In reconciling the Revdex.com Complaint that the Customer Resolution Team received on December, * 2014 (Complaint #[redacted]), we have agreed that a partial refund is warranted.  Refund has been processed and complaint has been resolved.

In reconciling the Revdex.com Complaint that the Customer Resolution Team received on January **, 2015 (Complaint #[redacted]), Kaplan Test Prep and the student have reached a mutual resolution.  We will work with the student regarding any future needs in order to assist in her success.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the...

business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

No one has spoken with me.  The issue did happen to get resolved a few days after I made the complaint but Kaplan reached out to me to speak about the complaint and have NOT spoken to me.  They did call me and email me at a time I was away without access to phone or email. I have since returned both the email and call.  I am currently awaiting their next attempt to reach me.
 
 
 
 
In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 12, 2015/01/05) */
1/3/15
As per the request of the customer, All Temp has refunded $374.00 back to the Visa card for the services paid to [redacted] Plumbing.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Review: On both 9/**/2014 and 9/**/2014, I spoke with a Kaplan representative about choosing between Online Prep (approximately $2,400.00 USD) and Live Online Prep (approximately $4,400.00 USD).

I was concerned about the schedule of Live Online Prep, since it typically requires 4hrs of lecture, 6 days per week. Consequently, I specifically asked about the availability of lecture recordings. The phone representative put me on hold to inquire and then told me that recordings of Live Online lecture would be available for 10 days after class sessions. When I was told this, I chose to enroll in the Live Online course as a direct result of this providing a safeguard mechanism should I be required to miss class due to hospital duty or other commitments.

The availbility of live lectures was the sole deciding factor for purchasing the more expensive course. Had I known that I would be unable to access my live lectures, I would have opted for the cheaper course, since that is exactly what I am being offered now.

[redacted]NOTE: Kaplan records each and every live online lecture. They give the lectures through Adobe Connect, which informs each room entrant that the session is being recorded. They absolutely have the recordings they sold the class with.

I do not know why they are not allowing students to access them.

When I questioned my [redacted], [redacted] at 11am, he responded that lectures were not recorded. I stated that this was not true as the software clearly informed us that a recording was occurring. He then responded that the recordings were for "internal purposes only" at 12:05pm. I have copies of these emails.

I did spend more than an hour speaking with Kaplan representatives on 1/*/2015. A representative [redacted] called me back from ###-###-#### at 12:04pm and stated initially that recordings of all class sessions would be made available after completion of the course in April, one month before my board exam. I explained that to proceed through a course with a gap in knowledge is unacceptable. I disclosed that I would be filing a complaint.

He then called again at 12:21pm and stated that recordings would available 7-10days after lectures.

I received an email from "[redacted]" at [redacted] at 3:37pm stating lectures recordings would not be provided as presented.Desired Settlement: Allow the lectures to be accessed as promised.

This requires only the click of a button on the Adobe Connect permissions page.

or $2000.00

Business

Response:

In reconciling the Revdex.com Complaint that the Customer Resolution Team received on January **, 2015 (Complaint #[redacted]), Kaplan Test Prep and the student have reached a mutual resolution. We will work with the student regarding any future needs in order to assist in her success.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:My concerns about curriculum content and out of date videos with specific citations showing that the Online Prep videos are from 2010 and that specifically Pharmacology (changes yearly) and Behavioral Sciences (they have DSMIV when medicine switched to DSMV in 2013) that I submitted to [redacted], my [redacted] were responded to with the text: "We definitely value your feedback and collectively, with other feedback received throughout the year, we will use it in our next curriculum review and revision cycle." I did speak with a [redacted]. I was allowed a 30min phone call with the instructor to review the material I had missed.Since then, I have spoken with [redacted], who assured me that she could give me a discount to $1600.00 final price on my Step 2 prep. I have not received any confirmation in writing of this discount, so I am not able to state that the matter is resolved.Since then, I have attended another live class in which the video feel was consistently skipping despite my being on a T1 hardwired connection with a download speed of 160.10Mbps.When you are able to be in class, there is definite and real value to the course. The MedAdvisors are helpful. How the course is being sold is dishonest. I am content to reach the resolution of $1600.00 total for my Step 2 course, but, again, have received no assurance in writing. Since this all started with a verbal promise from Kaplan that was inaccurate, I will not consider the complaint settled until that point.Please be aware that the curricular issues are still a definite and real concern to consumers. Kaplan's own saying about USMLE Step 1 is "the 3 P's," which are Pharmacology, Physiology, and Pathology. An entire third of that is un-usably out of date in the Online Prep videos (pharmacology recordings from 2010). Physiology was also primarily recorded in 2010 and does not follow the format of the admittedly excellent prep books. I have not seen the Pathology recordings. These are the recordings students are told to reference in the advent of absence from a class that is typically 4hrs/night for 6days/week. Should students reference Behavioral Science videos that follow DSMIV criteria, they will actually be doing harm to their preparation as USMLE is already removing those criteria. Again, there is great good to the course, and those that I have spoken with have been more than cordial and attempted to rectify the situation, which I do appreciate. It is unfortunate that some corporate processes seem to undermine their efforts. I do understand that there is little to no probability of significant change at an institutional level.For that reason, I am willing to accept the negotiated change. I simply need written confirmation.Thank you.

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

In reconciling the Revdex.com Complaint that the Customer Resolution Team received on January **, 2015 (Complaint #[redacted]), the student has been given direct contact information for any future needs and has met with a [redacted] or additional support. Student has received email confirmation that we will continue to work with the student regarding any future needs in order to assist in her success.

Review: As is advertised boldly on Kaplan's Test Prep website, "Kaplan is committed to your success. We stand behind our programs and your results with the Kaplan Higher Score Guarantee." ([redacted]) "If for any reason you don't raise your overall score, you can study with us again for free or get your money back."

"THE HIGHER SCORE GUARANTEE CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS

(Open to residents of the United States and Canada for HSG eligible programs only).

Step 1: You are a first-time Kaplan student and enroll in a HSG eligible program which has been paid in full.

Step 2: You complete that program and take the official test when it is next administered.

Step 3: Within three months of completing that program, you share your official score with us and tell us whether you want to repeat the same program one more time for free OR if you didn't score higher on the official test, you want your money back instead.

WHAT IS REQUIRED TO COMPLETE THE PROGRAM?

Attending all scheduled classes (and if applicable, make-up no more than two sessions for missed classes), taking all scheduled practice tests, and completing required homework for your program PRIOR to your course expiration date or exam date, whichever is earlier. For tutoring packages purchased, (where the student did not opt to use or attend the class option), the student must use at least 15 tutoring hours in graduate prep or 20 tutoring hours in precollege prep of the total tutoring package to “complete” the program under the guarantee. F-1 students in the GRE® and GMAT® for International Students Programs must additionally meet all requirements of study (100% attendance) in the United States. For students in Unlimited Prep (ACT/PSAT/SAT), the basic study requirements for the first ACT class or SAT class you select must be completed and you must take the exam on the administration date intended for that first class. In Unlimited Prep, both the ACT and SAT are HSG eligible, however, failure to score higher on the PSAT will not qualify for money back.

HOW DO I DETERMINE WHEN MY TEST IS NEXT ADMINISTERED?

You must take the official test on the next administration date following completion of the Kaplan program, generally within 30 days of your program expiration date. Program expiration date for pencil and paper exams is the next administration of the standardized test after your final class. For the MCAT, you must take the exam within the first two testing windows available from the end date listed on your online syllabus. For other computer-based exams (GRE, GMAT, DAT, OAT), you must take the exam within 30 days of your program expiration date.

HOW DOES KAPLAN DETERMINE IF I DIDN'T SCORE HIGHER?

You must establish a baseline score BEFORE you undertake the Kaplan program by providing an official score issued by the test administrator on the test for which you are currently preparing or if you have never taken the test before, a proctored Kaplan diagnostic. For certain programs, we will allow you to take a Kaplan diagnostic online and under self-proctored conditions. We'll compare your baseline composite score with your overall official score on test day.

HOW DO I OPT TO REPEAT A PROGRAM?

After completing your program, call [redacted] if you are not ready to take the official test or if you have taken the official test and are not satisfied with your score. We'll register you for the same program (one-time) again for free for the next administration of the test (through the next two testing windows for MCAT or 3 more months for other computer-based tests). Remember, you must call us within three months of completing your program in order to qualify. IF YOU CHOOSE TO REPEAT, YOU WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE MONEY BACK OPTION.

For Unlimited Prep students (SAT, ACT, PSAT), the program already allows you to repeat as follows so only the money back offer portion of the HSG will apply:

Unlimited Prep students may repeat SAT, ACT, or PSAT classes as many times as they wish through December of the high school student's senior year. Senior year is determined by the graduation year entered at the time of enrollment of Unlimited Prep.

Online resources including SAT, ACT, and PSAT On Demand, Math Fundamentals and College Admissions Zone remain active throughout the duration of the enrollment, or through December of the high school student's senior year.

For Summer Intensive Programs, the repeat options are as follows:

(i) Repeat test prep through any Advantage On Site, Anywhere, or On Demand course for free; or

(ii) Alternatively, students may purchase tutoring hours or the next available Summer Intensive Program at a discounted rate.

HOW DO I GET MY MONEY BACK?

To qualify, you must have paid Kaplan in full and you didn't score higher on the next administration of the official test after completing the program. Call *-[redacted] within three months of your program expiration date. All claims for refund must be accompanied by an official post-Kaplan program score report. (For Kaplan International Students, the request must be made within 15 days of your original program end date and you must start on the next available date in order to maintain F-1 status. Your I-20 will not be extended and you are responsible for maintaining your status at all times.) All course materials, and if applicable, the Kaplan student ID card must be also returned upon invoking the Higher Score Guarantee refund request. You will receive a refund of tuition paid to Kaplan excluding any applicable shipping, handling or processing fees. IF YOU CHOOSE TO GET YOUR MONEY BACK, YOU WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE REPEAT OPTION.

Kaplan International Centers (KIC) GRE® and GMAT® for International Students may opt to repeat their program only and are not eligible for the money back guarantee.

HOW DOES THE MONEY BACK OR REPEAT GUARANTEE WORK FOR TUTORING PACKAGES OR GROUP TUTORING STUDENTS?

Only tutoring packages of 20 hours or more for PSAT, SAT or ACT and tutoring packages of 15 hours or more for graduate admissions exams are eligible for the Higher Score Guarantee.

If you complete the program and choose to repeat the tutoring package because you are not ready to take the test, or you take the test but are not happy with the score, you may purchase additional tutoring hours at a discounted rate of $99/hour up to the number of hours in your original tutoring package or 24 hours (whichever is less).

If you complete the program, take the test, and your composite score on test day does not improve over your baseline score, you are eligible to receive your money back (excluding any applicable shipping or book fees)."

I completed the program & study materials that were required for the Higher Score Guarantee plus more and took my official MCAT test. When I received my official MCAT test results, they were lower than a previous composite score for an official MCAT exam. I was not satisified with the results I had from Kaplan so I contacted the company about getting my money back under the Higher Score Guarantee. I had to contact Kaplan three times to even get a customer service representative who could help me on the phone, all three times waiting on hold for a very long period of time. The customer service representative I finally was able to talk to advised me that many of my required study materials were shown as not complete on their system. I told the representative that I know for a fact that this is 100% INCORRECT. I completed all of the required study materials, attended all of the classes, and went above and beyond by doing more study materials than were required. I advised the representative that maybe the company should contact my local instructor because he would be able to tell them that I attended all of the classes and diligently worked on all of the required study materials. The representative told me that I could not get my money back because their system showed that I had not completed much of the study material and that I couldn't do anything about this. The representative also stated that their computer system has never been wrong about showing that requirements were not completed when they in fact were completed by the student. I questioned the representative that maybe this could be the first time that their computer system did not work correctly because everything that I see on my screen shows that I had completed all of the required elements before the test day. The representative was very rude when I suggested this and basically hung up the phone on me.

I then emailed Kaplan for further information about what I know is incorrect. I received several emails where Kaplan was beating around the bush and didn't want to tell me specifically which required items weren't completed. The final email I received was very rude and basically told me that I was wrong and I was trying to cheat (see email below).

"Hello (name excluded for privacy),

Thank you for contacting Kaplan Test Prep. I understand the importance of your request as it relates to your studies, and I am happy to assist you today.

In order to qualify for the Money Back Guarantee Refund you have to prove that you have completed ALL of the items available to you & at a date after those resources have been completed, not before, that you score less than the diagnostic on your Official MCAT exam.

All of the syllabus items are like ingredients in a recipe. If you can prove that you have followed the recipe, haven't left out a single ingredient, we guarantee you'll have a tasty dish - a good score in the end.

The list of items is extensive. On your syllabus page you have changed the "status" of the items to Complete, however upon inspection they are not. Opening a quiz for 1 second, submitting the quiz, does change to a complete status but the only person you are cheating is yourself. The Official MCAT test score you would like to submit to us is not valid because you did not follow the recipe for success.

Online access is still active for your course. It is advised that you honestly sit down and utilize the resources, sit for another Official MCAT exam and your score will indeed increase. Even if you do not feel ready for your exam by May [redacted]you are entitled to a FREE Repeat of your class so that you may continue studying for your exam.

To see the list of "ingredients" contained in your online resources, you may click ALL RESOURCES which is located just below the upper-right-hand-corner of the web-page. A word-document has been attached which shows the Not-Complete status of many items and even items here that say Complete may not actually be completed but simply opened and closed.

Please take some time to utilize your resources & take another official exam before contacting us again about a refund.

Thank you for choosing Kaplan Test Prep as your study partner, and we wish you the best of luck!

Regards,

Kaplan Test Prep

help.[redacted]"

How am I suppose to "prove" that I have completed all of the items when Kaplan tells me that their computer system is correct, has always been correct, no questions asked? What more way can I "prove" that I completed all of the required items than by seeing it on my computer screen and in my workbooks and knowing that I am the person who in fact DID complete ALL of the required elements? Kaplan never bothered to contacted my instructor to investigate this issue further so he could tell the company that I attended all required classes. Kaplan said that I could repeat the course for free and take the test again. I do not wish to take the course or the test again. My career plans have already been decided and that is not an option for me. Kaplan refuses to assist me further.Desired Settlement: Kaplan has to responsibility to honor the higher score guarantee. It is not my fault that their computer system shows that my courses have not been completed. I know for a fact that I have completed all of the required elements. Since Kaplan is "committed to my success" and they "stand behind their programs and my results with the Kaplan Higher Score Guarantee" they owe me my money back. I expect to receive a refund from this company before this issue has to be taken any further.

Business

Response:

In reconciling the Revdex.com Complaint that Kaplan Test Prep received on March **, 2014 (Complaint # [redacted]), Kaplan and the student have reached a mutual resolution. The student will invoke their Free Course Repeat option per the standard Higher Score Guarantee guidelines. The student is aware that she has until August **, 2014 to take advantage of her Free Repeat.

Consumer

Response:

[redacted]

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

[Your Answer Here]

Kaplan contacted me and basically told me that the free course repeat was the only option that I had and they would not refund me my money for the course. I did not whatsoever agree to this resolution. Kaplan needs to refund me the money I paid like they supposedly say they do with the Higher Score Guarantee.

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

One of the requirements of our Higher Score Guarantee is that the student completes all of their required coursework prior to his or her official exam or the end of the course, whichever occurs first. The student did not meet this requirement because her records reflect that she did not complete all the assignments. Rather, after the date in which she was supposed to have completed her assignments and after her official exam, the system shows that she attempted to manually mark her syllabus as complete. Thus, she did not qualify for the money back or free repeat guarantee. However, as a resolution we offered the student a free repeat of her course even though she was not eligible.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

[Your Answer Here]

The business states that all of the required coursework was not completed according to their system. This is incorrect, I completed the required coursework and more. There is absolutely no way for me to prove that I completed the coursework. The business's computer system is wrong or messed up, but they won't admit to that. Please refund my money.

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Review: I called Kaplan customer service on approximately 12/**/13 to inquire about tuition assistance. I was emailed a application for tuition assistance by a [redacted]. I was told to complete the application submit it electronically. I completed the application and uploaded my SAR report online. I called the following week to check the status since I never received a confirmation email but I did get a indication when I submitted the form that my application was sent. I called the following week to inquire to see if it was received because I figured with the holiday that it may not have a approval or denial but I just wanted to check to see if it was received. I was told that there was nothing shown in the system and the rep told me it most likely had something to do with the holiday. I called again on 1/**/13 to figure out what was going on because the class started 1/**/14 and I am registered to take the LSAT Feb **2014. I was told again that there was nothing in the system to show whether the application was received or not and it didn't show if it was approved or denied. I was told to email [redacted] to inquire. I was told to leave my number, student id, and best time to contact me. I submitted all the information and I have yet to receive a follow up email or call. I tried to contact [redacted] via email again and he responds promptly. He apologized and gave me a number to call back but I still got no response on my status. I'm getting frustrated because I acted on this on 12/**/13. I just need answers. I am just surprised how no one over the phone could tell me anything so that I can move on accordingly. I was told that it takes 5 days to approve or deny the application. I just don't see how a company can have people lingering and not telling them anything. the LSAT is the most important test in my life as I am applying to school for the fall. My LSAT student number is [redacted].Desired Settlement: I really would like answers. After all this, I feel Kaplan should grant me a full scholarship pending if I am approved. I really need answers asap. Thank you.

Business

Response:

In reconciling the Revdex.com Complaint Kaplan received on January **, 2014 (Complaint #[redacted]), it was determined the status of the tuition assistance application was provided to the student shortly after the application submission.

Kaplan and the student have agreed on a discounted comprehensive prep course of which the student is to follow up with Kaplan to proceed further

Review: Kaplan values its "Step USMLE 1 Anywhere Prep Course" at 4400.00. That is supposed to include live learning sessions, on demand recordings of sessions, question bank, and practice problems. I spoke with a spokesperson from Kaplan to assure that I would have access to recordings of sessions that I was forced to miss because I knew that I had conflicts with the schedule before beginning the course. I was told that I would and so purchased the product.

It now appears that Kaplan does not give students access to their live recorded sessions. I was told that this is a "new policy change". What they do give you is a copy of lecture material recorded several years ago that are not updated or as detailed as the live sessions. Actually, these recordings are easily found on free media sources and I have a copy of them already.

Without the access to live lectures, the Kaplan course is greatly devalued. I would not have purchased this service had I been told that I would be forced to watch videos that I could get for free whenever I had a conflict with the course. Furthermore, I do not believe that these videos are updated and contain material that is no longer relevant for the USMLE exam.Desired Settlement: I would like our class to be given access to the live recorded session because I do find those valuable. It seems that multiple people in our course were told that they would have access and at 4400.00 per student, their "new policy" should be reflected in their customer sales before students choose to purchase the product or not.

If Kaplan continues to refuse to give access to their live recorded sessions, I would like a full refund of my money while finishing out the remainder of this course because I have been denied the opportunity to choose another company's predatory program with better videos.

Thank you.

Business

Response:

In reconciling the Revdex.com Complaint that the Customer Resolution Team received on January **, 2015(Complaint #[redacted]), Kaplan Test Prep and the student have reached a mutual resolution. The student will been supplied with the resources she needs in order to assist in her success.

Review: I enrolled in the Kaplan course on 7/**2013, I had knee replacement surgery on 7/**/2013. I was suppose to be discharged from the hospital on 7/**/2013, but due to complications I was not discharged until 7/**/13, one day before the online class was due to begin. It was crucial that I took this course because I was schedule to take my LSAT on 10/*/2013. I did not do well at all on the test, I was on so much medication. I could not reschedule the test, because I had already rescheduled once before. Based on the Enrollment Agreement with Kaplan, if a student does poorly on the test they can re-take the course. So I called and rescheduled for another online course. I do not even remember the dates. I never started the class. When I wanted to start the class, I got ill again. My knee got worse, I was sent to see different [redacted]. In addition to my knee problem, I had foot surgery. My medical situation became more intense, I had more issues to deal with. My knees were not healing properly, I had to go to physical therapy. All of these issues prevented me from thinking about the LSAT, much less contacting someone about a course. I had dire medical issues that I had to deal with. It is difficult for civilians to understand the extent of the medical injuries that military personnel have to deal with. I tried to explain the representative that I spoke to, she was rude and told me there was no excuse. I requested to speak with a supervisor, she told me it would be 24 to 48 hours before one would contact me. I then thanked her and told her I would be contacting the Revdex.com.Desired Settlement: I would like the additional class which I am entitled, base on the Enrollment Agreement. They may claim I was already given that class, but they can check their online records and verify that I never took one day of that course. If the fact that I failed to call them and dis-enroll is the key issue. Well, I would like to apologize that in between my hospital and doctor’s visits that calling Kaplan was not top on my list of things to do.

Business

Response:

In reconciling the Revdex.com Complaint (ID #[redacted]) that the Customer Resolution Team received on August *, 2014, Kaplan has agreed to provide the student with a courtesy, free prep course. The student has been informed that this is a one-time complimentary program and was given direct contact info to reach out to a Kaplan representative should she need any further assistance.

Review: My daughter [redacted], is an Optometry Technician who wants to go to Optometry School. To apply, she needs to take the Optometry Aptitude Test (OAT). Kaplan Test Prep is a service which provides training to help students improve their score on the OAT. Their service includes, books, flash cards, sample test questions and access to their computer based training program. The cost is over $1200. The test materials are useful, but they need to be augmented with and integrated into the online access computer program. I purchased the program for use by my daughter, unfortunately, she was promoted to Manager at her office and the additional workload and demands kept her from doing the course. She contacted Kaplan and explained her situation and they extended her access to the computer until July [redacted], 2013. I have just returned from visiting my daughter in Raleigh, NC (I live in Lawrenceville, GA) and we have agreed that she cannot effectively complete the course and work the long hours with the increased demands of being a manager. Therefore she has told her employers that she will take 6 weeks off beginning the middle or late July in order to dedicate all her energy to preparing for the OAT. She will be coming to Lawrenceville to stay with me so she can focus on studying. We anticipate that she will be ready to take the test not later than the [redacted] of September. However, now I am being told that if we need to extend her access to the computer based training, it will cost another $299. I am a careful consumer and I do not recall ever seeing any reference to a $299 penalty if you need additional access. Advertising, by definition, is designed to attract a consumer. Advertising accentuates the positive, creates a positive feeling about a service or product. Advertising usually minimizes the negative, utilizes small print, asterisks, etc. to while technically providing disclosure, make it as difficult as possible in practical terms. I can assure you that if I knew there was a $299 penalty for not completing the course in a specific time frame, I would have waited to purchase the program until I had coordinated with my daughter about her work schedule, etc. I thought I was doing what a supportive and encouraging parent should do. In retrospect, I only added to the her workload and stress level. The advertising worked. I only saw the benefits and not the whole picture. I certainly was not aware of a $299 penalty. Now, my daughter is ready for the prep course and will, I am sure, benefit from it. I do not however, believe she or I should pay any additional fees. I do not believe the advertising made the information about the penalty readily available, visible or specifically addressed to the degree it should have been addressed.Desired Settlement: I am only asking that access to the computer based training be extended until September [redacted] of this year in order that my daughter can fully benefit from the program I purchased for her.

Business

Response:

At Kaplan Test Prep, we truly value the student experience and remain focused on helping students achieve their educational goals. Kaplan prides itself in being an accommodating and flexible company, always striving for what is best for the student.

Our On-Demand programs offered online provide instant access to the program content so we encourage students to purchase their enrollments within a reasonable time frame before the official test date. We understand that unexpected life circumstances occur so although the resources were available for [redacted], she was not able to utilize them as she originally intended. We remind students of the access period for the On-Demand program through our enrollment agreement, emails and Student Account and Home Page via login at [redacted].

On 09/**/2012, [redacted]’s father enrolled her into Kaplan Test Prep’s OAT Advantage On-Demand test prep and on the same date, she accepted the terms of our enrollment agreement resulting in an expiration date set to 4 months. In the days that followed, both [redacted] and her father notified Kaplan stating that due to work conflicts, she had been unable to utilize her resources. This continued to be an ongoing issue over the next few months. As a result, Kaplan processed a second enrollment access period, through the repeat option of the Higher Score Guarantee, giving [redacted] an additional 4 months of online access. However, when [redacted] required additional time beyond the 8 months already provided, it is our standard policy to charge a reduced tuition rate of $299 (not a penalty as [redacted]’s father describes).

Kaplan has now resolved the matter with [redacted] and her father and they were pleased with this resolution.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.

Sincerely,

Review: I purchased the USMLE Step 3 Qbank and they refused to activate my account in a timely manner. The payment was deducted from my banking account immediately, yet I had to call them several times to activate the service. The service has yet to be activated.

They also did not explicitly state that it would take a protracted amount of time before the service was made available.Desired Settlement: I would like a prorated refund of the days which I was unable to use the service.

In the future they should also explicitly state that the service will not be available in a timely manner as this is not standard practice with other companies. With USMLE world etc, the service is activated within 5-10 minutes after the purchase

Business

Response:

We attempted to make initial contact with the student on Friday, 1/**/14. We reached out via phone and email. She has yet to return our call/email. We did check her acct and see that she has since been able to log-in and take advantage of her on-line resources. We will make a second attempt to contact her today to completely resolve this issue.

Review: I purchased the Kaplan NAPLEX Review Book (ISBN: [redacted]) to study for the North American Pharmacy Boards. I purchased this book as one of my review materials. Unfortunately, I was very displeased with the book. The book has numerous errors including information that is not factual (incorrect information about drugs, classes, etc.), numerous examples of incorrect math and processes, and misspellings (including misspelled drugs!) Misspellings are understandable, but multiple examples of incorrect information can not be tolerated in a scientific review text. Any entry-level medical practitioner would be able to edit this book more concisely than was done by Kaplan. The book was clearly unfit for publishing. Again, I told Kaplan customer support that I would be happy to list specific examples of errors in the text. However, the only response given (after 2 attempts of contacting Kaplan directly) was that I would not be able to have any funds returned without a receipt of 90 days or less. I do not have the receipt for this book. I believe that Kaplan does not care about my dissatisfaction. Nor does the company care to hear criticism that may be able to help them better serve future customers.Desired Settlement: I would like to be contacted by the company. I asked to be contacted and already provided my name, email, and phone number. I would like a full refund of the purchase price + tax. $54.99 +$3.85 = $58.84.

Business

Response:

Kaplan Test Prep has sent the following electronic mail communication to the student, as we have not received a response to date:

Review: April [redacted] 2014 I enrolled in the MCAT Advantage course through Kaplan Test Prep. This course was to start on April [redacted]. During preparation for this course I was suppose to take the MCAT diagnosis Exam as well as other exams.

I was not able to open the link for the diagnostic exam and had difficulties with other links opening as well. After multiple emails to Kaplan from April [redacted] –April [redacted] for help, I finally called and it was determined to be a problem on their end. The Tech. re-enrolled me in the course and the link worked. Because I did not have sufficient time to prepare for the course due to this error, I started the course behind the rest of the class. I struggled to catch up, further more, I had more problems with classes not opening, being kicked out of classes due to connection issues, and links not wanting to load.

Ultimately I ended up registering for a new program which started May [redacted]. I continued to run into the same problems. It was so frustrating that I ended up missing numerous classes because they wouldn’t open, or kept spontaneously closing on me.

On June [redacted] I noticed that my access was set to expire on June [redacted]. My class was suppose to run until July [redacted], so I contacted Kaplan via email and explained my concern. They responded indicating that I had access until July [redacted]. I then replied stating that it still shows an expiration date of June [redacted], they did not reply to this email.

On June [redacted] I emailed Kaplan requesting a refund, their response was that I was ineligible for a refund because I had not completed the minimum work required to be eligible for the higher score guarantee and couldn’t get a refund.

My course expired on June [redacted] at 11:59pm, making it impossible to finish the course and therefore impossible to obtain eligibility to the higher score guarantee agreement.

This was the last straw for me. I had put up with too much already, so I emailed them requesting a refund for the course because of the difficulties I had and the fact that my course ended prematurely. I showed proof of my difficulties on July [redacted], with copies of emails, and screen prints, but all I got was a response stating that they can not do a refund via email and that I had to call.

So I called Kaplan, and I was informed over the phone that they can’t provide a refund for me because I completed part of the course. This is outrageous so I didn’t complete enough to be considered in the higher score guarantee agreement, yet I completed too much to receive a refund under different circumstances.

I debated with him on why I should get a refund and it all kept coming back to the enrollment agreement. I stated to him that Kaplan breached our contract by prematurely ending my course and leaving me in a position where it would be impossible to receive a refund. He continuously told me that my course was still active and that it was running until 7/**/14, but I have screen prints showing that I don’t have access and that the course did indeed end on 6/**/14. Once again Kaplan does not admit to making a mistake or an error and instead shows poor customer service by not at least checking and verifying that my course was still running. This is negligence. After everything all they are willing to offer me is to retake the course, but I start school in a month and I don’t have the necessary time to start a new course. Not to mention, who is to say it won’t be the same as the last two courses I attempted to take.Desired Settlement: I would like a refund for all of or at least part of the money I put into these courses. This resulted in a lot of frustration and stress, was not able to complete either of the courses I started because of issues on their end and I believe I am entitled to some kind of compensation. I had to cancel my MCAT which was $250 because I wasn't prepared for the exam and that is Kaplans mission. So I would like a refund.

Business

Response:

We are in communication with this student. She prefers to communicate with us via email. We are currently awaiting a response to her that was sent on 7/**/14.

Review: My daughter [redacted] took a ACT prep class at Columbus School for girls on July [redacted] 2013. The website claims that test scores will be posted within 3 days of test. None of her practice tests were posted until last Monday after I called and complained. The whole point of the class is to be able to determine as you are going through it how to improve by review of these test. I asked for refund which they claim they will give and none was offered. This is wahat they claim: New and improved score analysis. Our online student Smart Reports™ provide instant feedback on your student's test performance. Track progress to zone in on critical areas of improvement, so your student can maximize study time and score higher. it was not instant and the three upload policy did not happen.Desired Settlement: I want a refund for my daughters testing.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.

I have been refunded close complaint . Terrible company to deal with.

Sincerely,

Review: Kaplan's teacher, Ethan Weber, made me feel uncomforatble and could not continue attending his course as planned. His misconduct was never handled. Kaplan will not refund couse fee. Company not provide clear reason. I was threatened to have the police called on. And I was told not to contact Kaplan's customer service. Again, no clear reasons provided.Desired Settlement: Refund course fee. No further contact.

Business

Response:

This matter was resolved back on February * 2016; However seeing as the student has now requested to obtain a full refund so that she can study with a different institution, we have decided to honor her request.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

Where's the eyeroll emoticon?In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Review: I am getting ready for graduate school and the only thing missing in my application is a GRE test. I signed up for a GRE course through Kaplan after searching for 2 months for the perfect class and course. I found a Wednesday class that fit my busy schedule and decided to purchase it for $1,299.00. The class was 8 weeks, with the hope of taking the test right after. My class was to start Wednesday, September **, 2013. On that Monday, prior to the class starting (Monday, September *, 2013), I received an email saying that my class would be canceled and to look at other options. I was not given a reason as to why the class was canceled. I immediately began to look for another course that could possibly fit my schedule and found one on a Saturday, starting in October. I called the number provided in the email to schedule that class and was told that, that class most likely would get canceled too. I asked why I wasn't informed with over a week of notice and also why the class got canceled and was unable to get a clear cut answer to my questions. I was told every other schedule would be canceled. I then asked to speak to someone higher up and told him my situation. I told him that I would like to get tutoring instead at a discounted rate. He said he would get back to me and it took him two days to do so. While I was waiting for his call, on Thursday, September **, 2013, I received an email from a GRE instructor asking me why I missed the class the day before. I was told the class was canceled, why would I attend a canceled class? The class was in fact not canceled. Why the man higher up ([redacted]) got back to me after playing phone tag for over a week, he told me that there was not a tutoring discount I could receive although all the things that occurred where not my fault. I believe the unprofessionalism and miscommunication I received from this organization is appalling. I now have to wait an extra year to apply to graduate school because I was counting on this program to help me get there, as advertised.Desired Settlement: I would like extra studying materials since they notified me 1.5 days in advance.

Business

Response:

Kaplan Test Prep has fully refunded [redacted] as of 09/**/2013 for the entire amount paid for this course. unfortunately there is no further action we can take.

Review: I signed up for the Kaplan On-Demand Program as of 06/**/14. I paid 603.00 with my Discover Card upon the initial purchase. I agreed to have two more recurrent payments of 583.00 to be deducted from my account for the following to months. After the purchase, Kaplan sent me a confirmation email and I was supposed to have my products within 7 days. I allowed 10 days to pass and I gave them a call. I spoke with [redacted] and she informed me that the order was lost/not found. I emailed her the confirmation on July [redacted] She told me that they would expedite the shipping and resolve the issue, but I should have my materials within 2-3 days. I did not receive anything. After waiting, I emailed them and there was no reply. I then called on 7/**. I spoke to [redacted]. She told me that I should have my books at the end of the week. As of today, I still dont have anything. I dont have any books nor access to system. Im tired being patient.Desired Settlement: Being that it is almost a month in, I believe that I should receive some type of decrease from the remaining balance on my account. They obviously have messed up, but I want them to be honest with me. 603.00 is a lot of money for someone to just lose or claim they did not receive. I want answers.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.

Sincerely,